Six Tips to tell your Bridal Party BEFORE the Ceremony

What if your prepped your Bridal Party, before you get your pictures back! Every little tweak makes them that much more perfect. I know you love your friends and you want them to look their best on your wedding day too. From my experience photographing ceremonies, there is always something I wish I could just whisper in their ear as the ceremony is happening. Which is why I am sharing these tips with you today. You can be that bird in your friend’s ear before the ceremony begins. And girl, your friends are going to look good! 

Where to hold your Flowers: Every girl’s natural reaction is to walk down the aisle with their elbows bent at a 90 degree angle. This causes their flowers to be up high at their chest and the beautiful flowers you spent so much time hand picking are now pointed up at the ceiling. Instead, ask your girls to remember to hold their bouquets at their belly button and to slightly tilt them forward. Holding your bouquet at the belly button is a wedding trick to flatter your hips and your waist. When you hold your bouquet at the naturally larger section on your waist, the camera can see the upper half of your waist, which is the naturally smaller part of your body. Your flowers give you the illusion that you are smaller, and girl, who doesn’t love appearing smaller on camera. I know I do. Also, tilt those flowers toward the camera. Let the camera capture those beautiful colors. 

Where to hold your Flowers: Every girl’s natural reaction is to walk down the aisle with their elbows bent at a 90 degree angle. This causes their flowers to be up high at their chest and the beautiful flowers you spent so much time hand picking are now pointed up at the ceiling. Instead, ask your girls to remember to hold their bouquets at their belly button and to slightly tilt them forward. Holding your bouquet at the belly button is a wedding trick to flatter your hips and your waist. When you hold your bouquet at the naturally larger section on your waist, the camera can see the upper half of your waist, which is the naturally smaller part of your body. Your flowers give you the illusion that you are smaller, and girl, who doesn’t love appearing smaller on camera. I know I do. Also, tilt those flowers toward the camera. Let the camera capture those beautiful colors. 

Look Up: Again, walking down the aisle is scary. Most of us let our nerves get the best of us and our natural reaction is to look at the floor. Remember to look up. I have so many images of brides coming down the aisle, but you can’t see their beautiful faces. We want to see you! And we all know that makeup wasn’t cheap. Let your groom see your pretty face. The camera wants to capture it too. Keep those chins high and bouquet low. 

Dads: This one might sound funny. We all know how our dads can be, especially during wedding days. They don’t really know what’s going on, they are just rolling with the flow. This is one thing that I see time and time again at almost every wedding. Just as you and your dad get to the altar, he kisses you, shakes your grooms hand, and goes to step away to his seat. Now at most weddings, your dad will walk you down the aisle on your right side, but your family is seated on your left side. As he goes to step onto his side, he always trips over the train of your dress. I can’t tell you how many dads I have seen trip over their daughter’s train or veil. Just remind dad that it is there before you walk down the aisle. That tiny little reminder to walk around your dress can save your scalp some pain and your dress from a scuff mark. 

Fixing your Train and Veil: Your maid of honor is your personal fluffer for the day, and she knows how important that job is. Most of the time they do an amazing job at keeping your train fluffed and your veil just right as you arrive at the altar. What they forget about is that sometimes during your ceremony you move, either to light a candle or unite sand. Remind them that when you come back to the altar, they should give you a quick refluff. The ceremony hasn’t ended yet, you still have the most important part of the day, your first kiss, and the cameras are still rolling. We want your dress and veil looking just right for that moment and a little fluffing never hurt anyone. 

Your Officiant: This is the moment, your first kiss as husband and wife. Many seasoned officiants will step aside after they announce your kiss. They try to avoid being in the background of your picture. Not every officiant remembers to do this, so just ask them the night before if they wouldn’t mind taking a step aside. Your will thank them for it when you see your pictures.

Bonus: Who doesn’t love a little bonus feature. The last and most important tip I can share for your Ceremony is, enjoy your first kiss. Hold it a little longer than usual, let it set in that you are now officially Husband and Wife. Give yourself the opportunity to chose from multiple perspectives of your first kiss.

Last but not least, this is your ceremony. Just enjoy the moment and don’t sweat the tiny things that you can not change. Have fun, take in the moment, and live happily together as newly weds.